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What a fun shoot! I had worked with the Reilly family before, so when they asked me to join them again at Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College, I was thrilled! This time, it would be with some of their in-laws, too. I love big shoots like this. They are challenging, at times a bit crazy, and usually full of surprises…but the outcomes are always fantastic!

These children are all absolutely beautiful and sweet. Although it might take some coaxing to get some of them to look at the camera long enough for me to take a picture, they are such a joy to work with. The oldest girl was a pro. Take a look at this next pose–all her!

Frannie was the one who organized the shoot. She is absolutely beautiful and I can tell from the few times I’ve met her that she is an amazing mother. So full of patience and so warm, this next picture encompasses what she is all about. I just love it!

Love this next one of the in laws. What a lovely family! The flowering tree worked great with their outfits. It just screams summertime!

There is this awesome Adirondack chair on the campus that was designed by a former student. What a cool spot for a family portrait! I love that we were able to take the typical family portrait and transform it into something different just by using this chair!

A lot of the photographer blogs that I read include “What’s In My Bag?” types of posts, so I thought I might share something I recently added to my collection of gear. The Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro USM. I love, love, love this lens. I spent a lot of time debating whether to purchase this or the L version, which is nearly twice as expensive. However, after spending a lot of time researching, reading customer reviews, and stalking photos on flickr, I decided that this one was the right choice for me.

I never thought I would be “into” macro photography, but was I wrong. It is so much fun! The first thing I had to force myself to do was stop shooting so wide open. Smaller apertures (bigger numbers) is the way to go to achieve the most detail in those up-close shots. And…gulp…even using an external flash can push some good images to be great. The thing I like about this lens is that it also makes an excellent portrait lens. In fact, it’s almost too good. It picks up every single detail to the sharpest extent that a little skin softening in Lightroom is almost always in order. Here are five nonportrait images taken with this lens. Definitely a learning curve with this piece of equipment, but I am loving it all the same!

I hope that by the time next Friday rolls around, I’ll be able to do another gear post featuring my new camera bag! Be sure to check back then (if not sooner!).

Last Sunday morning I got to spend some time with the Adamcyzk family. What a great bunch! Their twin boys had just turned 2 years old, and they wanted a session to commemorate the event. These two adorable boys do not stop moving! By the time the session was over, I had practically broken a sweat chasing them all over the yard and house. But it was all good; I had an awesome time.

Absolutely stunning mother…

How cool are these Radio Flyer tricycles? Awesome idea to bring them out from the garage and take some pictures of the boys playing around.

Those blue eyes just do me in.

Love the red sweater with the red bike! And those sweet little red lips! What a cutie.

One of my favorite photos ever. Just love how this one turned out.

Thank you, Adamcyzk family, for letting me spend the morning with you! You have a beautiful family and a lovely home. Great time!

For months, several of my best friend’s closest friends and I have been planning her 30th birthday party. It was so much fun but so gosh darn hard! She definitely knew something was up but once we arrived at the party, she told me she could have never dreamed it would have been such a big event. 80 of her closest friends and family members (yes, 80 of her closest–this girl has a lot of love in her life) showed up to surprise Jenny as she turned 30. We chose a Mardi Gras theme because Jenny has always had a thing for New Orleans, Mardi Gras, and the like, and we arranged for the guests contribute to a plane ticket fund to ship Jenny off to Italy. I am so happy that we could pull it off. Here are some shots from the night.

The guest of honor arrives and her mother adorns her with a jester crown, boa, and scepter all in the Mardi Gras style.

One of the tough things about lugging around a monster of a camera like the 7D is getting other people to take pictures for you! It’s so rare these days that I show up in any shots. It’s even more difficult when I’m shooting with a 50mm prime lens and people try to zoom! However, this one turned out pretty cute. So happy with it!

We danced the night away to the music of my fiance’s band, which was so awesome of him and all of his band mates to do. In between sets, we blasted classic 80’s and favorite 90’s music of the birthday girl. So much fun!

The band! Please excuse the corners on these photos . . . Edited for Jenny; I didn’t want to go back and edit them for the blog. That’s bad, right? Ah…

Me and the birthday girl. Love her!

Guests left with favors, which I put together. Resin-filled bottle caps to remember the date and a spicy Cajun seasoning and recipe card. So cute! So hot!

I’ve been asked to participate in an Art Show late March. I am so honored and excited. Here’s a handful of some of the prints I will be bringing. These are from Ireland, the first or second time I was there. I will also be selling photo sessions. It will be a great time to book because part of the proceeds benefit PathWays PA. I’ll also be selling magnets and a couple of framed prints. There is an auction, to which I will be donating one framed print. I am having a difficult time deciding what my donation piece will be! I’ll do another post soon with some items from the show.

Stephen and I can’t thank you enough for the gorgeous pictures. You captured moments that we will now always be able to share. It will be remembered as a truly special day! Thank you so much! You absolutely have a talent.

I love hearing from families after our sessions. It’s such a good feeling to know I made them happy. Love the card, too.